Just when you thought you had your arteries cleared from last year’s Texas State Fair, along with all the fried bubblegum you devoured, Big Tex is back and is setting up the competition once again at the media only event this coming Monday morning.

Abel Gonzalez has readied his latest fried concoction, and this year the multi-year winner is hedging on his fried Jambalaya. Read about all the entries for the 2012 State Fair below, and watch Monday morning for photos and a full report on this year’s winners. The following descriptions are from the contestants themselves.

Deep Fried Jambalaya – A State Fair spin is given to this Cajun classic. This “from scratch” jambalaya is created using shrimp, cajun sausage and seasonings, then coated in lightly seasoned flour and fried to a golden perfection. This deep-fried Southern delectable will be served with a side of “made in house” spicy ranch sauce.

Deep Fried Mac-N-Cheese Slider – This three-cheese mac is baked until golden brown, battered in bread crumbs, deep-fried until crisp on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. Placed on a slider bun with a griddled beef patty, this southern-style invention almost calls for a rocking chair and a front porch.

Fried Bacon Cinnamon Roll – Deliciously fresh cinnamon roll dipped in a special sweet pancake batter, rolled in crispy fried bacon crumbles, deep fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s a main course and a dessert all in one.

Picnic on a Stick – Pieces of delicious spicy fried chicken alternate tater tots and slices of dill pickle. Repeated three times on a stick then dipped in batter, rolled in bread crumbs, and fried until golden brown, this picnic wouldn’t be complete without its choice of BBQ sauce, ranch, or honey mustard. BYO ants.